BY BEN BRACHFELD
Some pedal pushers got an
early taste of the long-awaited
Brooklyn Bridge bike lane,
which will offi cially open in
the coming weeks — allowing
cyclists to fi nally cross the
East River without competing
for space with pedestrians.
“It’s a little narrow, a little
stinky,” said Twitter user @_
streeter in a video he posted
from the bike lane, in conversation
with his dog Karloff, who
was riding in a specially-made
backpack. “But man, it’s nice
not having to climb, right.”
Karloff, a “Sato” mixedbreed
pooch from Puerto Rico,
gave the new bike lane 3-and-ahalf
paws out of 5, according to
his owner.
Karloff’s owner was just
one of a batch of cyclists who
got onto the new bike path before
it offi cially opens.
Speaking with Brooklyn
Paper, _streeter, who declined
to provide his real name, said
that the lane was open on both
the Brooklyn and Manhattan
ends on Sunday and Monday,
with barriers to entry appearing
to have been moved.
He even said that at one
point on Monday, the pedestrian
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path, where cyclists
have historically ridden on the
bridge, was blocked off, in order
to discourage bikers from
using the notorious pathway.
The biker gave a generally
positive review of the lane, but
nonetheless had some issues.
“The path is great,” he
said. “Width is more of an issue
at the entry on both sides,
and I worry more about fl ow
when you get off in Manhattan.
There’s going to be a line
of bikes every day, and I’m
concerned about the lack of a
protected bike path there further
down. Brooklyn-bound,
the lights from oncoming vehicles
are going to be an issue
at night.”
By Tuesday, the lane was
closed off again, though _
streeter said that the path was
once again open on Tuesday
night.
Scott Gastel, a spokesperson
for the city Department of
Transportation, said in a statement
that the bike path is not
open yet despite the efforts of
intrepid cyclists to move the
barriers and venture onto the
bridge. He said that the work is
almost complete and an opening
date will be announced
soon.
“The bike lane is not yet
open, and while parts appear
fi nished there is still critical
work that needs to be done to
ensure it is safe for use,” Gastel
said. “It will be completed
soon and we look forward to
joining in the excitement of
our fellow New Yorkers for
this sustainable transportation
option.”
Gastel said that work on
the bike path is ahead of schedule,
but that “critical work”
A rendering of the Brooklyn Bridge bike lane. NYC DOT
remains that necessitates
keeping the lane closed to the
public, including markings,
painting, work on the Manhattan
access point including
signal installation, and installation
of jersey barriers along
the route to separate the path
from automobile traffi c. Painting
has already commenced on
the Manhattan-bound side.
The new bike lane is an
8-foot-wide, two-way thoroughfare
on the bridge’s Manhattan
bound roadbed, and takes
the place of an existing lane of
vehicular traffi c. It’s intended
to replace the notorious existing
cycling path, which is
also the pedestrian path used
by throngs of tourists taking
selfi es, couples taking wedding
photos, and average New
Yorkers commuting to or from
work, or just taking in the
breeze and view.
Bridging the gap
Some cyclists cross the new Brooklyn Bridge
bike lane ahead of the offi cial opening
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